Empire state

Opening in 2047, almost 25 years after the events of the previous game, Crysis 3 sees US soldier Prophet return to a war-torn New York City fallen into an advanced state of decay.

Mankind’s decades-long war against the extraterrestrial Ceph has left the metropolis all but empty of human life, and the mysterious C.E.L.L. corporation has attempted to quarantine the alien-infested city by constructing an enormous nanodome around it. Cut off from the outside world, the abandoned streets and squares have crumbled into ruin, and nature has returned to reclaim the land.

Freed from C.E.L.L. incarceration by a resistance force led by former colleague Psycho, Prophet soon finds himself alone in this urban jungle of derelict buildings, disused railway lines and lush but lethal rainforest. Rivers roar down submerged avenues and wildlife flourishes in the shadow of skyscrapers – while everywhere lurk the deadly remnants of the Ceph invasion. But they’re not the only enemy on Prophet’s mind: the agents of C.E.L.L. are on the hunt for their escaped prisoner, and they’ll stop at nothing to bring him in, dead or alive.

Action-packed from the outset, Crysis 3 is a twisting, turning thrill ride brimming with dark secrets, global conspiracies and jaw-dropping revelations. Alone and with only his wits and an arsenal of awesome weaponry to aid him, it’s up to Prophet to expose C.E.L.L. and end its plans for world domination – before an even greater foe destroys Earth and everything on it.

City slicker

The world of Crysis 3 is vast, vivid and glorious to explore. From the opening scenes onwards, everything is imagined on an epic scale – and rendered in the same rich, crisp detail as a movie blockbuster.

The music is truly haunting, with crunchy sound effects and top quality voice acting adding to the hard-hitting sensory experience. One minute you’re blazing through a battalion of bad guys surrounded by screams of pain and anger, the next you’re padding softly through dense forest in a hush so heavy that the slightest on-screen movement is liable to make you jump out of your skin.

The high production values extend deep beneath the surface of the action, too, with a vast inventory of customisable weapons and collectable artefacts easily accessible via a brilliantly intuitive menu system. This artful integration of options and action allows for an incredibly fluid yet feature-packed experience – and ensures that nothing disrupts your hunt for the next target.

Stealth bomber

Combining frantic first-person action with strategic stealth assaults, Crysis 3 is all about atmosphere. From the creeping dread you feel as you stalk through the eerie rainforest to the panic that hits when you’re spotted by a roving bunch of C.E.L.L. troops, the game keeps the suspense levels sky-high.

Fortunately, Prophet has everything he needs to survive the deadly environment and destroy every enemy he encounters. Clad in a nanosuit that amps up his physical strength, hones his reflexes and enhances his agility, the trained killer can also use his high-tech exoskeleton to render him temporarily invisible or almost invulnerable to enemy assault. It makes it easy to switch your play style to suit any situation, and means the game flows beautifully from blazing combat to sneaky sniper attacks.

As you wind your way through lush jungle and decaying city streets, you’ll stumble across a diverse bunch of enemies both alien and human. Tons of wild weapons are yours to loot from the corpses of those you kill, and most can be customised on the fly to suit a variety of situations. Among your arsenal is the hunting bow, which offers an alternative to the more explosive and futuristic array of arms at your disposal. Whatever your chosen weapon, though, one thing is clear: unless you keep your senses sharp and your wits about you, you won’t survive long to use it…

Hunting party

The breathless suspense and adrenaline-fuelled intensity of the Crysis 3 single player game is ramped up to new extremes in its amazing array of multiplayer modes.

You can team up with or face off against friends and fellow fans around the world in online death matches, team death matches and a range of other modes specially designed to test every skill you’ve learned playing solo.

Best of all is Hunter Mode, which sees opposing teams playing as a ruthless C.E.L.L. squadron and a band of resistance fighters. The task of the former is to track the latter through the swampy, steamy badlands of post-apocalyptic New York – and every time a rebel soldier is picked off by the C.E.L.L. pursuers, he or she is re-spawned as one of them. Eventually, every player but one is a C.E.L.L. agent stalking through the undergrowth, armed to the teeth and hell-bent on taking down the last man standing (or running, to be precise). It’s an inspired, nerve-shredding way to experience the superb stealth warfare of Crysis 3 with your mates – and ensures that the excitement levels go through the roof.